Grating



Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED srAr s issuer PATENT orricsf JOHN KEOW'N, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH TO ARTHUR E; SANG- DAHL, OF VJESTERN SPRINGS, ILLINOIS, ONE-FIFTH TO W. FORREST OGLE, OF CHI- GAGO, ILLINOIS, ONE-FIFTH TO EDWIN J. LEARNED, 0F LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS, AND ONE-FIFTH TO BENTLEY F. RAMSDELL, 0F GENEVA, ILLINOIS GRATING Original application filed September 6, 1929, Serial No. 390,704. Divided and this application filed December 10, 1931.

A general object of the inventionis the provision of a grating construction which will have desired strength and durability, and which can be manufactured economically and without waste of material.v

A more specific objectisthe provision of a grating construction wherein the parts are 'permanently connected by forging operations. a

Another specific object is the provision of a grating construction wherein the component parts of the grating are so connected as to prevent rusting in the joints and consequent loosening of the parts and weaken- 20 ing of the structure.

Yet another specific object is the provision of a grating wherein simple commercial shapes maybe employed throughout in. the grating construction.

Another particular object of the invention is the provision of a grating construction wherein the strength and stiffness of the component parts are maintained and utilizcdto' the best advantage. 7 Y

Other and further objects will bepointed out or indicated hereinafter, or will be apparent toone skilled in the art upon an understanding of the invention or its employment in practice.

In the following description and .in the drawing forming part of this specification, the invention is explained through the disclosure of certain examples, but it is to be understood that these are presented for the be construed in any fashion calculated to limit the appended claims short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In said drawing,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a portion of the completed grating;

Fig. 2 is a section along the. line '22 of Fig. 1;.and

Serial No. 390,70, filed September 6, 1929s purpose of illustration merely, and are not to Serial No. 530,042. q I V 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of.

ratings suitable for use as supporting surfaces, such as floor gratings, stair treads, walk Ways, platforms, and the like, must possess the necessary strength and stiffness to support considerable loads, the stability or permanency of. jointing or connection 'of component partssuch as to prevent their becoming loosened under repeated pressure and permitting rattling and weaving, and they mustalso lend themselves to pleasing and uniform design and to various dimensional requirements and accommodation of portions of a building structure in association with which they areto be installed. Economical manufacture'is of Verydis'tin'ct importance, particularly as related to quantity production. F I V v The present invention provides agrating which satisfies these requirements in a very effectivemanner. It involves theuse of only the simplest commercial rolled shapes of bars,

. and operations which may be performed automatically with rapidity and certainty. Descrlbed generally, the invention comm. plates the provision of a plurality of carrier bars, in the form of relatively flat strips,

which are punchedat suitable intervals for the reception of connecting bars, which may be round, square or of other appropriate cross section, and which are threaded through the punched openings in the carrier bars, the latter being arranged inparallel relationship at suitably spaced intervals. Thepon' tions of the connecting bars between the carrier bars are re -for med in such fashion that the bars arepermanently connected together, the ends of the connecting bars being upset upon the outer sides of'the outermost carrier bars, and portions of the connecting bars being formed out flush with the margins of the carrier bars on the side of the grating which is to be the top or tread side when it is installed for use. As a consequence, the strength. and stiffness of the material is availed of to the best advantage and a stiff and rigid. structure having moisture-proof joints is formed.

1 The invention will be understood more in of said portions.

detail by reference to the example of structure illustrated in the drawing. A suitable number of flat carrier bars 10, of steel or other suitable material, are punched at desired intervals, preferably to one side of their neutral axis, to afford apertures 11 which are entirely between the margins of the bars, so that they are completely surrounded bv the metal. Although indicated at '11 as of syjuare form, these apertures may be of other suitable shape.

in parallel collateral relationship, connecting bars 12, preferably "of a cross section which fits the apertures 11 with an easy sliding fit, are inserted through the aligned apertures of the carrier bars, the ends of the connecting bars being pro ected sl ghtly heyond the outermost carrierbars. These bars originally may be of square, circular, or other appropriate cross-section, The network of bars'being thus loosely assembled, the connecting bars are heated to a temperature which will permit of their being readily forged, and the portions of the connecting bars are then subjected to a forging or swaging operation by which said portions. of the connecting bars between the carrier bars are re-form-ed by pressures applied transversely In this re-formiiw operationthe carrier bars are supported on a rigid plane surfaced table and someof the metal of them.

the connecting bars is displaced beyond the upper and lower margins of the apertures-11 sothat it overlaps opposite side portions of "the carrier bars, and some of the metal is 'also forced longitudinally of the connecting 'bars so that the apertures 11 arecomnletely and tightly filled, and fillets 17 are formed gins of the carrier bars which are in contact with the table surface. In order to insure the proper displacement of .the metal of the connecting bars into contact with the table surface, it may be desirable to apply the forging pressures obliquely, so as to give the carrier bar portions a slightly tapering crosssection, approximately as illustrated By use of suitable material for the connecting -bars,'and adequate pressure, it is apparent that this re-forming of the bars may be effected without the The re forming of the connecting bars in The carrier bars being arranged At the same time'the pro- 7 preliminary heating of the manner described effects a permanent connection of all of the bars in the grating structure, producing, a practically integral fabric in which all of the bars are definitely held against shifting relative to one another. The joints between thecarrierbars and connecting bars, being formed under compression, may be made sufficiently close to prevent'entrance of moisture. Hence, rusting in the joints may be definitely prevented, 7

and the bars thus safeguarded against loosening in such fashion as to permit their ratftling or to permit the structure weaving.

During-the intermittent feeding of the fabric to the forging operation, and during the so re-forming of the connecting bars, the carrier bars are supported and guided in the desired spacing and parallel relationship.

The grating thus formed, which is illustrated in'Figs. l, 2 and 8, possesses very marked strength, stiffness and stability. The side of the grating which in the forging operation Wasin contact with the table,'constitutes the upper'or tread surface of the finished structure. Stiffness is effected in the structureby the closeness of the joints, the continuity of the connecting bars and the overlapping of the re-formed portions of the connecting bars onthe sides of the carrier bars, said portions acting as struts holding the carrier bars against tilting laterally, and thus maintaining their major radius in the line of'thrust of loads imposed on the tread side of the grating. The strength and stiff ness are also contributed, in part, by the fact 7:100 that the integrity of the marginal portions of the carrier'bars is maintained throughout their length, and the section modulus V of the carrier bars, on the compression side of their neutralaxis, is preserved by the compact filling of the apertures'll by the metal of the connecting bars. By virtue of the strength, stability and stiffness of the structure,.gratings of this construction are well qualified for the supporting of heavy loads, such as may be imposed upon them in their use as floor gratings, platforms and the like. The grating may be constructed, of course, with any desired spacing of the carrier bars and the connecting bars, and pre 5115 .sents aregular and workmanlike design,

WhatI claim is:

1. A grating compr sing a plurality of collaterally spaced carrier bars having trans: verse apertures located in their compression portions andspaced from their margins and 'a plurality ofsolid metal connectingbars each extending through and solidly filling apertures in a plurality of the carrierbarsg portions of said connecting bars at opposite sides of'the carrierbars being of cross-sectional form difierent from the shape of the apertures and having abutting contact-With opposite lateral surfaces of thecarrier -bar's 1 for a substantial portion of the depth of apertures spaced from their margins, a plurality of solid metal connecting bars each extending through apertures in all of the carrier bars of the section, said connecting bars having their portions between the carrier bars of cross-sectional form different from the form of the apertures andabutting the opposite lateral surfaces of respective carrier bars at an appreciable distance from the apertures.

3. A grating comprising a plurality of carrier bars extendingin collateral spaced relationship and having transverse apertures spaced entirely from their margins, and a plurality of solid metal connecting bars each extending through an aperture in one of the 7 carrier bars and through aligned apertures in a plurality of the other carrier bars and having portions solidly filling said apertures, said connecting bars having their portions between the carrier bars of cross-sectional form different from the form of the apertures and abutting lateral faces of the carrier bars for an appreciable distance at opposite sides of the apertures.

l. A grating comprising a group of carrier bars arranged collaterally on edge in spaced relationship, said carrier bars being provided with transverse apertures, and a plurality of solid metal connecting bars each extending from one carrier bar to another through apertures in intervening carrier bars, said connecting bars having their portions intermediate the carrier bars of a depth exceeding the height of the apertures and abutting the sides of the carrier bars for an appreciable part of their depth in a manner to hold the carrier bars against tilting laterally.

5. A grating comprising carrier bars arran ed collaterally in spaced relationship and provided with transversely extending apertures spaced from their margins, and connecting bars of solid metal cross-section each extending through apertures in a plurality of the carrier bars and having portions entirely filling said apertures and spacer portions abutting lateral faces of the carrier bars for an appreciable distance beyond the margins of-the apertures, said spacer portions of respective connecting bars being in alignment transversely of the carrier. bars.

6. A grating comprising a group of carrier bars disposed collaterally in spaced relationship and having aligned transverse apertures, and a plurality of solid metal connecting bars each extending through aligned ing bars also having spacer portions intermediate the carrier bars of a cross-sectional form difierent from the form of the apertures and having end abutments with lateral faces of the carrier bars. I I

7. A grating comprising a plurality of carrier bars arranged in collaterally spaced relationship and provided with transverse apertures spaced entirely from their margins and located above their neutral axes, said carrier bars having their upper margins approximately in a common plane, and a plurality of solid metalconnecting bars extending transversely of the carrier bars through the apertures therein, said connecting bars having their portions within'the apertures entirely filling the same and their portions intermediate the carrier bars of cross-sectional form different from the form of the apertures and with parts thereof in approximately the same plane as the upper margins of the carrier bars, the portions of respective connecting bars intermediate the carrier bars being in alignment transversely of the carrier bars and having abutment with lateral surfaces of the latter for an appreciable distance from the apertures. i

8. A grating comprising a plurality of carrier bars arranged collaterally in spaced relationship, said carrier bars having transverse apertures spaced from their margins, and a plurality of connecting bars each extending through apertures in a plurality of the carrier bars and having portions compressed in and completely filling such apertures, said connecting bars having their several portions between the carrier bars re-forrned throughout their length and into abutment with lateral surfaces of the carrier bars at an appreciable distance from the apertures.

9.- A gratingas specified in claim 8 and wherein portions ofthe connecting bars between the carrier bars are in approximately the same plane as the upper margins of the carrier bars.

10. 'A grating as specified in claim 8 and wherein the said apertures are located above the neutral axis of the carrier bars.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name. i

JOHN M. KEOWN.

apertures in a plurality of pairs of the carrier bars and completely filling the apertures in which they are positioned, said connect- CERTIFICATE OF CORREGTEON.

Patent No. 1,867,702. July 19, 1932.

JOHN M. KEOWN.

It is hereby certified that error appears in tire printed specification of the abovo numborod patent requiring correction as ioiiows: Page 3, line 1, claim 1, for the Word "portioii read proportion; and mm the said Letters Patent should be read with this oorrestioii therein that the some may conform to the record of tire sass in the Patent Office.

Signed and seaied this 15th day of November, A. D. 1932.

M. J. Moore, (Seal) Aoting Commissioner of Patonts. 

